Monster
by TheAuthorAnonymous
Summary: There was something truly evil inside Danny Phantom...something like bloodthirsty, vengeful rage. Rated: Blood, gore, and mass character deaths. DxS DannyXSam , light RobStar. No crossover couples.
1. Deep Within

**Ok, this is going to be actually mild in the beginning, but there WILL be blood later on. AND Teen Titans. But for now, just read this story with Danny(As he is the main character of this story). This could be considered a songfic with "Monster" by Skillet. (That song rocks, seriously!)**

**Before you continue, this story is post-Phantom Planet. Dash wasn't in the crowd of people who saw Danny transform, so that's why he's calling Danny "Fenton" and being a jerk. As usual.**

**I work on this project when I can, so don't expect frequent updates on this story. Thanks for reading, please review this story if you read it! It lets me know you guys care.**

**Monster by TAA**

_**Chapter One: Deep Within**_

_"Am I a true hero? Am I really good?"_

These were the very questions young Danny Fenton had been asking himself ever since he gained his ghost powers. Something deep inside of him told him that a ghost could _never_ be good. Others thought so as well. Danny tried all he could to disprove himself and them, and he had succeeded. He'd saved the city more times than he could remember. He was _the_ good ghost. And yet, there were times he could be considered _evil_. One example is when he was being controlled by Freakshow. When Danny had had the crystal ball, no one was forcing him to be evil. And yet, something in him caused him to remain so until the thing broke into pieces.

Then, when he had battled his evil older self, Dan Phantom. Danny would sometimes wonder what would have become of him if Clockwork hadn't saved his family and given him a second chance. Would he have become that ultimate enemy?

After he had saved earth from the "disasteroid", Danny had almost completely shaken these dark thoughts away. But one day, Danny began noticing something... _different_ about himself. He found himself becoming more irascible, more short-tempered. He had also begun developing a larger appetite, and his behavior was getting slightly animal-like. It wasn't long before his close friends Sam and Tucker, and even his family, began to notice something different in Danny.

Jazz, Danny's own sister, was the first person to actually mention anything about her brother's strange behavior. It started one night at dinner, a night the Fentons were having hamburgers. Danny ate his food quickly and noisily, attracting strange glances from his family.

Jazz had tapped him on the shoulder and whispered in his ear, "Danny, please stop eating like that. Honestly, it's starting to scare me." That only served to irk Danny, and he'd said he could eat that way if he _wanted_ to.

Jazz leaked these things to Sam and Tucker, who also admitted they'd noticed Danny's weird behavior. He was quite snappish when things didn't go his way, and a _fly_ would get him so angry it wasn't even funny. He would frequently lose his temper, and now, in the present, Danny felt he was dangerous.

He would often lock himself in his room, and snap at anyone who knocked. He would even head out into the ghost zone just to let his anger loose on some floating piece of rock. He would spend hours there, only leaving when he got hungry or bored.

As strange and bad as it already was, it only seemed to get worse. His ghost battles could get extremely violent, and Danny would sometimes beat his opponent up so badly that the ghost would pulse ectoplasm from some wound inflicted by the halfa.

But no one, not even Danny, would have ever thought it would get as bad as it did...

_..._

Danny had chosen to avoid everyone at school today, including his friends. He was afraid someone might tick him off, and he might end up hurting somebody. It was one thing to make a ghost bleed, but the boy didn't even want to _think_ about hurting innocent human beings!

That's when Danny saw _him._ Dash. Danny had a grudge on the bully, and, in the halfa's eyes, there was nothing wrong with hurting _him. _After all, Dash was hardly innocent.

Feeling bitter and mean, Danny walked right up next to Dash and jabbed his shoulder into the bully's side. "Oops, was that me?" Danny said in a cheerful, sarcastic way. Dash turned and angrily stared at the younger boy, who was smirking, arms folded.

"Watch it, _Fenton_," the jock spat, "You're just asking for trouble." Danny just laughed. Dash shoved him down. "You think that was a joke, punk?"

"I'm not a punk!" Danny exclaimed, sitting back up. He started to feel quite angry, his laugh having lasted for just a second.

"Oh yeah, you are! And you're a stupid little _freak_ to deny it!"

Now Dash was the one with a smirk on his face, and Danny was getting horribly agitated. "Moronic creep," Danny growled under his breath, glowering at the jock. Unfortunately, Dash had heard the comment.

"Pig!" the bully yelled back. After a series of name-calls between the two(of which we won't go into), Danny was seething, his anger boiling within him.

"Dash," Danny growled, lifting himself from the floor, fighting to keep himself under control. "I'm _going_ to hurt you."

"What can _you_ do, Fenton? You're weak and worthless! And that Goth freak that follows you around..."

Danny froze and clenched his teeth at that. How _dare_ Dash call her that! Danny felt his last bit of control become consumed by the indwelling rage...

"She's even more worthless than you are!"

That was it. All sanity had been driven from Danny's mind. Before he even knew what he was doing, his fist had planted itsself in Dash's face with superhuman speed and power. Dash was surprised, to say the least. He fell over from the strength in the punch, his nose bleeding. Before a sound was even uttered from his lips, the furious Danny Fenton was pinning the jock down with his foot.

"Who's weak now?" Danny hissed. He still wasn't out of his fury, and was blind to everything happening around him. He didn't see his friends' frightened expressions, neither did he know they were there.

"Danny! What are you doing?"

That was Sam, and she sounded utterly shocked. Danny snapped out of his rage. He looked around him, and found the whole _school_ was staring at him, truly terrified at what they had all just witnessed. The students shot glances back at each other. None of them had ever seen the freshman _punch_ anyone, much less _Dash_.

Danny stepped away from Dash, and felt himself redden. He took off down the halls of the school as the others began muttering amongst themselves. The boy's irrational behavior had cost him more than he had bargained. He was being driven by his emotions instead of his head!

_What on earth am I becoming?_ Something terrible, he was sure. He was violent, angry, and, in a way, depressed.

Danny decided to skip school all together today. He would only be stared at by shocked teens the whole day anyway.

_I should have known I would hurt somebody!_ Small tears ran down Danny's cheeks as he ran out the doors of Casper High. He didn't know or care where he was going, just anywhere but the school.

"Danny, wait!" Sam followed him out, trying to catch up to her friend. Danny ran faster, as panic began to set in on him. What would Sam say about his act of carelessness? He didn't really want to find out. The boy ran faster and faster, darting into various alleys, until finally stopping in the one behind the Nasty Burger. He sat down next to a crate and hugged his knees. He breathed heavily, hoping his friend was off his trail.

_Who am I kidding?_ Danny thought, laying his face in his open palm. He was tired, sweaty, and upset. He couldn't go on like this. He now wished he _did_ have Sam with him...

"Danny?" came Sam's voice. Danny panicked again.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I... I don't...!"

"What's gotten into you?" Sam asked. She didn't sound angry, just worried. She kneeled down next to the ghost boy.

"I don't know," Danny managed, a sob choking his voice. He embraced Sam and began silently crying on her shoulder. Sam uncharacteristically let him stay there, returning the hug.

"What's happening to me, Sam?" Danny asked once he had regained his composure. "I'm sorry for avoiding you and Tucker, sorry for being such a self-infatuated jerk."

"Don't say that, Danny..."

"Don't deny it, Sam! You know it's true!" Danny spat. He slapped himself on the side of his head. "Stupid temper," he muttered before sorrowfully adding, "I don't know what to do."

"Sometimes it's best to talk things over," Sam said, placing her hand on Danny's shoulder. Danny smiled.

...

And so Sam came through for Danny. After all, that's what friends do. But... will this story have a happy ending... or a not-so-pleasant one? That, reader, is what you should decide.

**Mm-hm. This chapter turned out longer than I thought it would.**

**Yeah, Danny is angsty throughout most of the story. Don't like, don't read. It's as simple as that.**

**I also want to apologize to those of you who clicked on this wanting a gory read... That's for later chapters. Just keep reading, we'll get to them eventually. :P**

**And those of you who are ignoring that warning, pay it heed! This story will end up getting very gruesome.  
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**Also, may I remind you this is a crossover with Teen Titans. They show up in the next chapter. See ya then ;)**


	2. Surpression

**It's DannyXSam and Teen Titans time! It's time to relate the Teen Titans to this story. I won't start connecting worlds until chapter 4, but I'm going to hint at it in chapter 3.**

**Plenty of DxS fluff in this chapter, but no blood. Sorry. XD Wait until next time.**

**Monster by TAA**

_**Chapter Two: Surpression**_

Sam and Danny both missed the first period of classes. They were both lectured by Mr. Lancer and Principal Ishyama, who sent Danny to detention immediately. Fortunately, Danny had cried his anger out for the time being, and, therefore, simply nodded and did his work.

_But how long will it last?_ thought Sam. Truthfully, she was getting extremely worried for her friend. Danny was normally a little bad-tempered and impatient, but he had gone way too far lately. _Maybe all the pressure with his ghost identity is driving him insane,_ she thought. It made sense, but it still didn't explain his massive appetite. Sam would have to keep and eye on that.

...

At lunchtime, Danny briefly came out of detention to eat lunch. Many eyes were on him as he grabbed his lunch tray and sat down next to Sam and Tucker.

"I wish they would quit staring at me," Danny whispered. "It's making me a little uneasy...and even a little angry."

"Danny, try not to get angry," Sam said.

"I know I shouldn't, but it's so hard!" He furiously dug his fingers through his mop of raven-black hair. Sam gently touched his shoulder, which seemed to calm him down a little.

After Danny had gotten a little more comfortable, he bolted his food down as if he hadn't eaten in months. He looked, and sounded, quite like an animal while doing it. After finishing, he said, "It's a shame they don't serve seconds. That was good!"

"OK, Danny. Usually you're complaining about how _bad_ the food is, and now you want seconds because it's _good?_" Sam exclaimed, a little confused.

"Yep," Danny said, standing. "I should probably be getting back to detention, now. Lancer will be wanting me back." He rolled his eyes and mischievously smiled at Sam before turning and heading out of the cafeteria.

Sam smiled back and rested her chin in her hand. Maybe Danny was really healing. He was almost his normal self, but perhaps a little too cheery. At least it was better than being dark, gloomy and angry all the time.

After school, however, Danny was more sour than a lemon.

"So Lancer gave me this _ton_ of homework that you _know_ I could never finish," he ranted, "and he was staring at me so hard I could barely even work!" He slumped and put his hands in his pockets as he walked. Suddenly, he snapped out of his bad mood. "So...hang out?" Danny asked, stopping in front of the arcade. Sam muttered a little "sure" as she and Tucker walked past, but Danny didn't hear it. He stormed after them, a scowl on his face.

"Hey. Why are you guys ignoring me?" he asked angrily.

"Relax, man. She said 'sure'," Tucker replied.

"She did?" Danny exclaimed, snapping back into a straight-up position. "Sorry, I guess I couldn't hear you."

Sam almost sent back a sharp retort, but she held her tongue. After all, she didn't want to provoke Danny with all he had caged inside.

"Anyone hungry? I'll buy us all pizza," Danny offered.

"No thanks, I'm fine," Sam replied.

Suddenly, Danny was in a sorrowful state. "Sorry I asked," he said, drooping again.

Now _this_ was odd. Danny had been prone to moodswings before, but this was getting constant. He had gone from frustrated to mellow to angry, angry to happy, and happy to sad. There was no telling what next.

"Hey, Danny, I'll take you to get ice cream, just you and me."

"Really? Just the two of us?" Danny's blue eyes brightened. "For ice cream? Now?" Sam nodded. Danny smiled. "Thanks, Sam!" He hugged her and took off toward the ice cream shop.

As Danny hugged her, something weird happened. Sam had felt something. It was dark, and seemed to be eminating from the halfa himself. Despite how Danny was acting now, there was still rage inside. And Sam was sure Danny felt it, too.

DP...TT

_Slade._ It was the name Robin had hated since he had first heard it. The man behind the mask was resented just as much, if not more.

The Teen Titans had once thought they had been rid of Slade my the villian's own former apprentice, Terra. And yet, many things had happened suggesting Slade was still alive.

When Trigon had risen Slade up to live again and was given powers, the Titans were confused and surprised. Later, when the demon betrayed him, Slade had teamed up with Robin to stop Trigon. The boy wonder didn't like the alliance, and they ended up splitting up later on. Robin didn't know what happened to Slade after that, and personally didn't care. He just hoped the man would stay away from them.

Now here it was. The day Robin had dreaded, The day he'd hoped would never exist. Here it was, existing, against the young hero's will. He turned to the other Titans. "He's back."

Beast Boy was the first to respond. "Who?"

"Three guesses."

"Er...Slade?"

Robin nodded, a serious look on his masked face. "Slade has returned. And this time, we stop him...For good." Robin slammed his fist into his palm.

TT...DP

Meanwhile, Sam and Danny were busily enjoying their frozen treats. Danny ate a double-scoop waffle cone, and Sam licked a normal vanilla cone. Though Danny ate quickly, he kept himself clean, and ended up finishing before Sam did. Sam was actually surprised!

"Thanks for buying us ice cream, Sam," Danny said, smiling brightly at the Goth. The boy now seemed to have a childish way about him. Maybe that was some way for him to cover up the fury buried deep within himself. Maybe, just maybe.

DP...TT

Suddenly, Slade's masked face appeared on the gigantic telivision screen. "Hello, Teen Titans," he said, menace in his sole gray eye, his tone calm and cool. The eye narrowed. "And hello, Robin. It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"What do you want, Slade?" Robin growled in a low voice, intensely staring up at the screen.

"Think about it. If I wanted you to know, I would have already told you," Slade responded calmly.

"So it's for you to know and us to find out, is it?"

"On the contrary. It's for me to know, and you to _never_ find out." The screen went blank.

TT...DP

After they had both finished their ice cream, Sam and Danny trekked out to visit Danny's home.

Danny was smiling, for now. Sam didn't know how, but she was still sensing the cold, dangerous anger within the boy. She was cautious not to upset her friend, feeling as if he could explode at any moment.

He was perfectly happy. Danny felt as if his rage was melting away like the ice cream had done in his mouth, but it really wasn't. It was just getting less powerful...for the time being.

"Hey, Sam, do you think we could-" The ghost boy's words were cut off by a blast from a ghost ray. Danny heard a laugh. He knew it anywhere. "Vlad Plasmius!" he exclaimed. "Why is _he_ here?" Angry tension began to build up inside of him. "Why now?"

"_Because it will bring you to your destiny, child,_" said an unfamiliar voice. Danny looked around. _Nothing._

...

**Cliffhanger! This chapter may seem just a little unimportant, but many **_**important**_** things are introduced in this chapter. You can probably figure that out on your own.**

**Thanks for all the reviews on the last chapter! I appreciated all the suggestions I got from some of you. Unfortunately, most of the reviews were anonymous, (Like me!) so I couldn't respond to them. You guys had the best reviews, I think!**

**Please review again! :)**


	3. Resurgeance

**The last chapter lacked action, didn't it? Don't worry, there's some right here. Also, I'm very aware that when Danny's a ghost, he bleeds ectoplasm, but I wanted it to be blood. I'm evil like that. Just letting you know before you read.**

**Well, here we go...**

**Monster by TAA**

_**Chapter Three: Resurgeance**_

_I keep it caged, but I can't control it._

Before Sam could say a word, Danny had already gone ghost and flown straight to where he's heard Vlad's evil laughter.

_I sure hope he can control himself out there,_ she thought. There was not only a change in Danny's personality, but his body was different, too; he was more muscular, stronger looking. Therefore, he was a good deal more likely to hurt somebody, and seriously. His violent battles with other ghosts must have built his strength.

"Leave this town alone, Plasmius!" yelled Danny, a bit more angrily than he had meant to.

"Why Daniel," Vlad said, turning to see the furious boy floating in midair. "I thought you would never show." The next moment, he was firing an ectoplasmic disc at the younger halfa.

Angry and not sure what he was doing, Danny knocked the disc aside with the back of his hand, slicing it open. Blood pulsed heavily from the wound, but Danny felt no pain. He rushed in at Vlad, snarling like a wild animal. He had not his wits about him, and was easily stopped by the elder ghost. Vlad gripped the insane boy's uninjured hand tightly in his clutch.

"Danny, why the hostility?" Vlad sneered.

"Duh, you're my archenemy!" Danny yelled, blasting Vlad in the stomach. The older halfa grimaced, and he loosened his grip, flying away from the strength of the blast. Gripping his stomach and growling, Vlad floated back toward Danny.

"What, no more witty banters?"

"I'm not bantering with you anymore, Vlad," spat Danny, gripping his bloody hand, its gore flowing onto his other glove at a sickening pace. "This ends today!"

Vlad wondered why Danny was so angry and reckless. He had never been so much so before.

The enraged boy fired two more ray blasts blindly at Vlad. "You ruined my day!" Danny furiously screeched. Vlad dodged the first blast, but the other hit him in the arm, burning through the suit down to the skin. Danny's rays were stronger, burning hotter with his own rage.

As Vlad gripped his throbbing arm, the white haired teen flew in on him, madly punching, kicking, and scratching. Even when the elder ghost had reverted back to his human form, Danny knocked him to the ground and continued to abuse him, livid.

Sam showed up a minute later, and, seeing what was going on, ran to stop her friend. "Danny, wait!-" She froze and paled when she saw the messy truth of what was happening. A pool of blood was forming around Vlad's head as Danny punched and punched. Sam actually felt _sorry_ for the ghost villian.

But that wasn't what had scared her the most. The main fear factor was Danny's face. His eyes were narrowed and glowing, reflecting no hint of remorse. And his mouth, instead of cringed in anger, was slightly curved up in a smirk. _Danny was enjoying Vlad's pain!_ He _liked_ the halfa's blood staining his suit and the ground. He _liked_ the expression of agony on his archenemy's face. He looked really, truly, _evil_. And he _felt_ the same.

Danny kept laying punch after punch on the man's face, his rage having no end. Now it appeared as if Vlad wasn't _feeling_ anything...

"Danny, stop! Stop it now!" Sam yelled, holding back her fear and running to the ghost boy.

Danny turned to look at her, growling. "_Don't_ tell me to stop, Sam!"

Sam was quite taken aback. It was Danny's voice, but it was...different. Colder, darker, altered by anger. And it didn't sound at all like something he would say. That teen couldn't _possibly_ be the good natured, caring, nice guy she knew!

"_Look_ at him, Danny!"

"Who cares about _him?_ He deserved that!" Danny stood and kicked Vlad, who responded only by making a faint groaning sound and moving loosely like a ragdoll.

"Look, no matter how evil Vlad is, no one deserves to be beaten to a _pulp!"_

Danny shot a look back at the man he had been beating up, thinking Vlad couldn't have looked _that_ bad. He jumped, startled at the sight. Vlad's face was horribly disfigured, his expression contorted and frozen. There was blood _everywhere_. It suddenly hit Danny. _Vlad was nearly dead._

A sudden, intense wave of guilt crashed over him. He gripped his head with his blood-covered hands and fell to his knees. "Oh, God," he sobbed, "What have I _done_?"

He flew away, leaving Vlad's motionless body in the street and Sam in a state of shock. "Nice job, Danny," he said, aiming his leftover anger at himself. "You just _ruined_ your reputation!"

DP...TT

Slade stood in the center of his hideaway, watching a battle take place on one of his several large viewscreens. He felt a mix of emotions and feelings. "Try to kill the messenger, hmm?" He admired the child's ability to feel no pain, but there was a small problem. When his rage ran out, he would feel guilty and run away. Slade would have to make him stop that. Who knew? Maybe he could make a worthy apprentice.

...

**As bloody as that was, it's no where NEAR as bad as this story's going to get. I mean, seriously, the warning on the story.**

**Oh yes, I've planned out this entire story, and it's going to have 27 chapters.**

**Again, thanks for the reviews. :) If you read this, I'm requesting you tell me what you think about this chapter. You probably know who Slade's talking about. o.o**


	4. Scars Remain

**I'm warning you all right now: ANGST ANGST ANGST... And some totally sweet DxS stuff. And, as I've previously stated, I work on this project when I can. I haven't had much time to work lately due to other things going on in my life, you understand.**

**I don't have much to say about this chapter, except I LOVE one of the things I wrote in here! The thing with the physical and mental wounds... You'll know it when you see it. I was having a major lack of writer's block when I wrote this chapter.**

**Enjoy... if you can.**

**Monster by TAA**

_**Chapter Four: Scars Remain**_

_Why won't somebody come and save me from this?_

Danny flew through his window and flopped down onto his bed, transforming back into Danny Fenton. He breathed hard and gripped his bleeding hand. The intense pain was finally making its way to the boy's brain, and he grimaced. He felt guilty, _far_ more guilty than he'd ever felt before.

"What was I _doing?_ Why did I just _explode_ like that? He was only _attacking!_ I didn't even know his intentions!" Danny ran his unwounded hand through his raven black hair. "What am I becoming?" He sighed and shuddered as a tear ran down his cheek. He looked at his crimson-stained hand. Danny knew he should let Sam have a look at it, but he was much too ashamed to show his face around her again. Suddenly, there was a knock on his door. "Go away."

"It's _me_, Danny."

"Who's 'me'?"

"Sam."

"Go away, Sam."

"I'm coming in," the girl persisted. Danny just sighed and let her enter. He wasn't in the mood to argue with her at the moment. "I noticed you were wounded." Sam's voice sounded shaky, as if she was cautious about approaching the boy. Another pang of guilt seized Danny's heart. Had he really scared her that badly?

"Yeah," he managed, back still turned to Sam. He was hunched over and staring at his hand. Some of the blood had dried, but fresh crimson liquid still oozed out of the ugly gash. He felt Sam sit down next to him on the bed. His heartbeat quickened. Danny felt a little frustrated at her for not leaving him alone, but at the same time welcomed the company.

"At least the bleeding's slowed," Sam said, sighing in relief. Danny never turned to look at her. He didn't care to see the pain in her eyes. "Can I...take a look at it?" she asked, reaching out to take his hand.

"Don't touch it!" Danny snapped, jerking it away. The swift movement caused another sharp surge of pain to sear through his swollen hand. Danny flinched, and the blood pumped out a little faster.

"Sorry," Sam apologized. And, sounding sterner, she added, "But if you don't let me take a look at that, it could get infected. I don't want that to happen to you."

Danny sighed, and allowed more tears to fall from his eyes. He slowly moved his arm in Sam's direction, still avoiding her gaze. "Danny, are you...crying?" Danny didn't answer. He just let the tears fall down his face and onto his other arm.

Sam sighed and smiled lightly, even though Danny couldn't see it. She took out a wet rag and held her friend's wrist as she gently wiped the deep cut. The boy flinched on occasion, but said nothing. Next, she applied some disinfectant, followed by tightly bandaging his hand.

"Thanks, Sam," Danny mumbled half-heartedly, examining his freshly treated hand. "Now what are you _really_ here for?"

Sam blinked in astonishment. "Are you suggesting I have some ulterior motive for being here, other than just wanting to help my best friend?" Danny was silent. Sam was about to shoot an angry response back, but she held her tongue. Danny wasn't himself lately, and Sam didn't want to leave her friend angry at her, especially now that he'd proven how dangerous his ire was becoming. She wouldn't risk it. "This is all I'm here for, and maybe to comfort you," she replied calmly.

Danny chuckled darkly. "I almost killed someone, Sam. It's not something that I'll just get over overnight," he hissed.

Sam held her breath at the sharp response. How could her words have made him angry? "Yeah, but-" she shut her mouth when she realized there was nothing to do or say that could comfort her friend. Nothing at all. The physical wound on his hand would heal, but the mental wounds of the day's events would forever be open, causing the boy more pain than he cared to bear.

"I'll be OK, Sam," Danny said, at last turning to look at her. He sounded as if he was trying his best to reassure himself as well as his friend. Sam saw it in his eyes. The boy's blue eyes were filled with remorse and sadness, bloodshot and shimmering with tears. Sam nearly cried at the sorrowful look on Danny's face. He never used to cry so much. Where was the boy bursting with confidence, or the kid who tried to make the best of any situation?

_He must be so pressured by his emotions and what he's done that it's finally broken him down,_ Sam thought. She reached out to embrace her best friend. Danny slowly returned it, wrapping his arms around the girl tightly.

"I'll be OK," he repeated silently, sobbing. "Just so long as you're with me."

Sam felt tears come to her eyes. And there, sitting on Danny's bed, both teens cried.

DP...TT

Robin anxiously paced his room, expression hardened with concentration. It had been roughly one hour since Slade's message of return. The young hero couldn't figure out why Slad had told them he was up to something without saying what. If Robin knew Slade, he wouldn't speak to the Titans _at all_ if he wanted his plan to stay a secret.

The boy needed more time to think it over. Was it a ploy to destroy the city? Take over the city? No, that was too classic. He must have something else in mind.

Whatever it was, Robin had confidence the team would know soon enough. That was for sure, if Robin had any say in it.

...

Slade fixed his one eyed gaze on the man standing in front him. "Most pitiful. I hear you can normally beat him up _very_ well. What. Happened?" the masked man asked darkly.

The other man, wearing torn, black clothing and with long, silvery hair tied into a ponytail, was rubbing a huge bruise on his face. "I truthfully don't know," he said. "He was so _angry_ I couldn't get through to him!" The man paused to cough up a clot of bloody saliva. "His power was _always_ intensified by his emotions."

"Is that what I asked, _Vlad?" _Slade spat, a hint of anger in his monotone voice.

Vlad shook his head vigourously. "Of course not!" he said, smiling with all the "innocence" he could muster.

"You will go back," Slade commanded, returning to his calm demeneor, "and give Daniel the message. Do _not_ fail me."

"I won't, Slade." Vlad morphed himself into Plasmius form and took off back towards the small town of Amity Park.

**As you all probably suspected, Slade is spying on Danny. And why is Vlad working for Slade? That, readers, will be revealed in chapter 6. Not the next chapter.**

**How will this all turn out in the end? *snickers***

**You know my policy: Review if you read, please!**


	5. Fear and Misery

**...And the plot is beginning to thicken! I suppose it's fair to warn you of the complete evil contained in this next chapter... of course, if you've been reading for **_**this**_** long, I assume you can stand a little of that.**

**There are still questions you're most likely all wondering... **_**Why**_** is Vlad serving Slade... **_**Why**_** is Danny so angry in the first place... **_**What**_** was that voice at the end of chapter 2...**

**The first question will be answered in the next chapter, but I'm afraid the latter two won't be answered until MUCH later chapters... the middle one most likely the second or third to last chapter in the story. But I **_**will **_**hint to it in the next chapter.**

**Ok, so... **_**why**_** are you still reading this? Read the chapter, by all means! (PS, did you notice I've started adding lines from "Monster"(Skillet's song) at the beginning of every chapter? They tend to kind of fit with the chapter, too.)**

**Monster by TAA**

_**Chapter Five: Fear and Misery**_

_I must confess that I feel like a monster!_

_Three days later._

Robin was getting tired of this. If Slade was truly trying something, then why was there no activity? Three patrols daily by the Teen Titans and constantly monitering the viewscreen in the Tower seemed utterly useless. There was _nothing._

Robin was beginning to suspect Slade of trying to decieve them, as he had done in the past. Perhaps he was trying to lead them off on a wild goose chase while he sat back and watched, laughing, as someone else silently did his dirty work. Robin really had no idea what was going on, but he would keep trying to find out. It was for everyone's own good.

TT...DP

Danny was angrily working on his homework. It was due right after the weekend was over, the weekend itself being a time the halfa should have been kicking back and relaxing. It would have been a perfect time for Danny to forget about his troubles at school and calm his temper down a little. But _no,_ he was stressing himself out even more by doing his load of work.

Over the past few days, in fact, he had only become more touchy and irritable, sometimes snapping at his parents or throwing something across the room when provoked. When Sam was around, however, he was much calmer. The girl seemed to tame the angry beast inside of him. When she wasn't around, Danny would nearly lose control of himself. He would catch himself just in time, fortunately.

His parents and friends were becoming especially worried about him, and were _very_ concerned about his violent ghost fighting. 

He could sometimes get so angry and frightening that even some of his worst foes began to fear him. They didn't want to bother him too much, lest the halfa should send them to their afterdeaths. It had almost happened several times before; the Box Ghost had nearly been slaughtered for simply saying, "beware", Skulker's metal suit had been trashed thanks to a furious ghost boy, and poor Klemper, seeking friendship (as always), was pounded so badly he no longer _wanted_ to be Danny's friend.

Even some of the jocks and A-list students at school had developed a healthy fear for his human half, and Danny enjoyed it. He wasn't picked on as much, if at all. Most of the students avoided him now, all except Sam, Tucker, Jazz and Valerie.

Thanks to Danny's swift healing, the gash on his hand was now little more than a scar; but, as Sam had predicted, his mind was still "bleeding". _That_ wound wouldn't heal, and it only grew worse as the days went by.

The raven-haired teen sighed in exasperation and slammed his algebra book shut. This was ridiculous; he would _never_ be able to finish all this work by Monday!

The extremely difficult-to-control ire was swiftly bubbling its way up to the surface yet again. Danny gritted his teeth and growled. He stood to his feet and stormed out of his bedroom, slamming the door behind him. He marched down the stairs and through FentonWorks all the way down to the lab. Danny opened the portal, transformed himself into his ghost form, and flew in.

As he floated through the green-and-black abyss, Danny noticed for the first time how other ghosts reacted to him recently. They would always fly away from him as quickly as possible. He scowled, a growl eminating from his throat. He actually _wanted_ to fight a ghost for once. Danny was truly angry enough to reduce a ghost down to ectoplasm, and he wouldn't leave the ghost zone until he'd dug his nails into at least one spook's body...

...And ripped. Ripped with all his strength.

DP...TT

Starfire stood just outside Robin's bedroom door, wondering whether she should bother him or not. The hero boy had been in his room for three hours straight.

The Tamaranian had been worrying about the boy wonder ever since Slade had vaguely referenced to some sort of evil plot. It had been three days, and Robin had been musing about it ever since. He had disappeared into his room for some "privacy, and time to think".

Starfire truly hoped he was OK.

TT...DP

"Hey! Get back here!" Danny yelled. He was hot on the tail of a small green ghost. After five seconds of chasing, Danny caught up with it and grabbed its tail. The halfa smirked and squeezed it. The little ghost screeched. "You can't run away from me _yet,_" Danny said, in a fake cheerful tone. "I'm not done with you."

With that, the ghost boy smashed the little ghost's head against a floating boulder. Suddenly very furious, he pinned the ghost down and punched it over and over. "DON'T! IGNORE! ME!" Danny screamed between punches, teeth clenched. He started to pound the little spook harder.

The abuse still not curing his rage, Danny angrily gripped the ghost with his fingernails. He ignored the horrid scream of pain it produced as he ripped it..._in half._ The whole ghost simply dissolved into ectoplasm.

Danny blinked. "Did I just..." The halfa, now out of his fury, looked down at his ectoplasm-soaked hands. That green liquid was what startled him back to reality. "Oh, no, I did!" he yelled. "I actually managed to...to..._kill_ something..."

Danny didn't know _what_ had come over him. What had that little ghost ever done to him? Nothing. The ghost boy was too angry then to even _care_ who he was hurting. "I must be some sort of monster," he muttered sadly to himself, floating back toward the Fenton portal.

A shiver of fear ran through Danny's spine. If this was what he did to innocents, he didn't even want to _think_ about what would happen to his enemies...or his friends.

Unfortunately, he would have to find out. And it would be sooner than he thought...

**Ooooooh, ominous foreshadowing. *creepy music***

**Sorry for the long time I took to update, but I can explain! Not that any of you want to listen, so I won't say. I've had homework and a lack of interest. The latter is due to a lack of reviews at the first time I published this project.**

**Reviews actually do motivate me. I get all jittery when I get a new review. I like them not because I want to see how many reviews I can get, but because I like to know you're interested.**

**FACT:**

**This is actually sad, but some of Danny's feelings are what I'm like sometimes. I get fed up with all these bullies at my school and I just want to KILL THEM...**

**So this story is easy to write emotionwise.**

**Please...review... :3**


	6. Teeth and Claws

**This chapter will answer several questions, and, unfortunately, create a few more. It's a long chapter with (get this...)**

**LOTS AND LOTS OF VIOLENCE! MUAHAHAHAHAHA! *ahem* but not blood. That's for chapter 7. However, this is a very intense chapter, so brace yourselves! Also, I'm going to need some time to work on the roughs of my later chapters(Currently working on chapter 9), so you may not see another update for a while.**

**Thanks for all the reviews on all past chapters! I worked as quickly as I could to get this chapter to you soon, and I probably wouldn't have if it weren't for reviewers! You're all awesome!**

**Monster by TAA**

_**Chapter Six: Teeth and Claws**_

_It comes awake and I can't control it._

Danny flew out of the ghost portal, and morphed back into his human form before landing. He felt tired, sick, and miserable. "I need some sleep," he muttered, trudging up the lab stairs. He shuffled through the den, where his parents were sitting.

Maddie must have noticed how sad and pale her son looked. "Danny, are you all right?" she asked, concern filling her eyes.

Danny stopped and turned his head to her. He looked sadly at his mother's face before turning around and continuing back to his room.

...

Vlad floated outside Danny's bedroom window, waiting for the younger halfa to return to his room. The ghost had been in town for several days, trying to get over his injuries from his last encounter with Danny.

He had watched the boy, invisible, over that time. He'd seen Danny become angrier and more bitter, and he almost feared confronting the half ghost child. However, Vlad was more afraid of Slade than of Danny.

The masked man had stripped away everything that belonged to Vlad. He had been spared his life, but only under the condition he serve Slade and Slade alone. Vlad hated the man with everything in him, but felt he had no other choice.

Suddenly, the device in his ear beeped.

DP...TT

Slade didn't know what was taking Vlad so long. It had been days. _He's delaying giving Daniel the message,_ the man thought, annoyed. Slade called Vlad through the communications device in his ear. It was several seconds before the man answered.

"_**What is it, Slade?"**_

"Have you given the boy the message?"

_**"Not yet, sir, but I was just about to."**_ Vlad paused, then began speaking in a hurried manner. _**"You know, it might not be the best idea to bother Daniel when he's in one of these **_**moods,**_** especially since-"**_

Vlad's nervous talking was cut short by Slade. "You will give him the message, mood or _no_ mood!" he said in a raised voice. "He could kill you for all I know. But..." Slade lowered his voice and spoke in an eerily calm, cold tone. "That's a part of life now; isn't it, Vlad?"

TT...DP

Vlad gulped in uncharacteristic fear, his heart beating swiftly at Slade's cold words. "Yes. Yes, of course," he said, choking out the words. He turned off the communicator and sighed deeply, trying to catch his breath. He didn't have much time to do that, though, as Danny entered the scene.

...

Danny phased through the door to his room and flopped face-down onto his bed. He felt as if he was drowning in a pit of misery. This was worse than the Vlad incident earlier that week, because Danny had actually managed to _kill_ something this time. Ghost or not, it was still a conscious, thinking being. And it wasn't even an enemy! It was just a tiny ghost unfortunate enough to fall into the hands of an angry Danny Phantom.

Danny rolled over onto his back. His anger had gotten the best of him. He had lost control again. The teen buried his face in his palms, then rubbed his eyes with them. He was exausted, but six in the evening _hardly_ seemed like an ideal time to go to bed. It was much too early.

Without reason, Danny began to feel angry. He growled and sat up. The boy gripped his pillow and squeezed it. He felt all the strength in his muscles, built from months and months of fighting ghosts. Using every ounce of that strength, Danny threw his pillow across the room. It hit the wall with a soft thud which did nothing to satisfy the boy. The halfa craved to hear a loud crash. And, since that craving hadn't been satisfied, it only made Danny all the more furious. His angry blue eyes darted around his room, searching for something to throw, tear up, destroy, etcetera.

That was when a figure with pale green skin, red eyes, and a white outfit and cape phased through the window. His arms were crossed, and his brow was furrowed.

Danny jumped up. "Vlad..." he seethed, speaking through clenched teeth. "Stay away from me!"

Vlad flinched at the dark tone the boy had used. "I understand this isn't the best time, Daniel," the elder halfa said.

"Oh, you _know_ it!" Danny roared. His eyes glowed green, visualizing his increasing rage. The teen sparked the blueish-white ring around his waist and allowed them to separate, transforming him into a very angry Danny Phantom.

"Listen to me, Danny," Vlad pleaded. But before he could finish his sentence, the ghost boy had grabbed him by his cape collar. What Danny said next was so unlike him, even Vlad couldn't surpress a shiver of fear.

"I was just looking for something to rip apart," the young halfa growled. "You should do just fine." With those malevolent words, Danny threw Vlad across the room with all his might. The older man crashed into Danny's closet, breaking down the door with a deafening noise. The sound brought a satisfied grin to the ghost boy's face. But now, _even now,_ he wanted more. More crashing. More violence. And he wouldn't stop until he'd had all he wanted.

...

Vlad looked up at Danny, who was casually floating his way towards the closet. He was _smiling,_ as if some malicious, dark section of the boy's mind was actually enjoying this. And he just didn't seem _angry_ anymore. He seemed quite happy as he grabbed Vlad's collar and threw him to the other end of the room. In fact, he was outright _sadistic!_

The vampire-like ghost smashed into the wall, cracking it. Vlad had just begun falling headfirst onto the floor when he found his breath being knocked out of him. Danny had jabbed his elbow into Vlad's back, eyes narrowed and a smirk on his face. The adult halfa grunted in pain. Danny gave him no time to catch his breath. The teen grabbed the man's shoulders, then flipped him over, causing him to slam backfirst onto the ground.

The ghost boy planted his white boot on Vlad's chest. "Have I mentioned how much I _hate_ you?" Danny growled, the rage once again filling his eyes. He shoved his foot even further into the man's chest.

Now Vlad was gasping for breath. "Daniel! What has gotten into you?"

A little smirk crept onto Danny's face. "It's nothin' beating _you_ won't fix," he chuckled darkly. Was that a spark of _red_ Vlad saw in Danny's eyes? No, it couldn't have been. His eyes were the same neon-green color they always were in ghost form. Was it only the man's imagination?

Suddenly, Danny appeared to be very, very sleepy. He loosened his foothold on Vlad and groaned, then passed out.

Vlad shot up into the air, taking the break to think. The only way he was going to get Slade's message to Danny was to overshadow him. It was possible to transmit thoughts from one ghost to a host if inside the body long enough. It was risky, but it could work. Vlad shot down into Danny's head.

Overshadowing the boy was harder than the elder halfa had thought it would be. Even though Danny was unconscious, it felt as if the boy was forcing him out! No, no. It didn't feel like Danny. It was as if something else was in Danny's mind...

Suddenly, a black, wolflike figure with razor-sharp teeth and claws leaped at Vlad. Spooked, the ghost flew out of the teen's body before it could get to him.

Danny's eyes popped open, and he bolted upward into a sitting position. "Don't _ever_ try that again," the halfa child growled. He flew up into the air, gaining a red aura as he ascended. Then, he began to change. Danny's eye whites darkened into pitch black, and his irises became a deep blood-red color. The angry scowl on his face became a wicked grin. Vlad backed away, completely freaked out.

Danny advanced on Vlad, chuckling. "I hope you can stand more pain than that, Plasmius," the boy said, "'cause I've got plenty to give to you."

DP...TT

After a time for what seemed like years, Robin emerged from his room. He jumped back, startled, as he nearly bumped into the orange skinned alien girl in front of him. "Starfire!" the boy exclaimed. "How long have you been floating there?"

Starfire ignored the question. "Oh, Robin, I am most pleased to see you again!" she said, clasping her hands together. The Tamaranian landed on the ground in front of Robin.

"You were _that_ worried about me?" he asked, raising unseen eyebrows. "It's only been a few hours."

Starfire nodded. "Yes. Our friends are worried about you, also."

"Then I think it's time we talk to them. Come on."

**BEHOLD! I leave you on two cliffhangers. I told you this chapter would be intense. What's with Danny? He's...actually evil! Sorry I can't update faster...**

**Please review! :)**

**I was listening to a song called "Get Back" by a band called **_**Nine Lashes**_** while writing from "The ghost boy planted his white boot on Vlad's chest". It's amazing! It doesn't fit the story, but it's good.**


	7. Pain

**I left you all hanging from a cliff, and now it's time to fall! This is a seriously gory chapter (Not **_**too**_** bad, but watch out...), so be warned. **

**I actually pulled through in this project and wrote chapter 10 in one day! So I decided I was working fast enough to update.**

**I DO NOT own DP or "Monster" by Skillet. I own the story, not the song.**

**And that's all I have to say.**

**Monster by TAA**

_**Chapter Seven: Pain**_

_The nightmare's just begun..._

"Honestly, Vlad. Do you bleed _blood_ or _ectoplasm?"_

The evil, red-eyed Danny Phantom continued to advance on the vampire-like halfa, still maintaining an eerily creepy smile on his face. "Well," he chuckled darkly, "I guess there's only one way to find out." Danny's hands and eyes glowed blue as he prepared to throw an icicle attack...

DP...TT

"Titans, I have an announcement to make," Robin declared as he and Starfire entered the den. Raven looked up from the book she was reading. Cyborg and Beast boy paused the movie they were watching and turned to look at their leader. Cyborg stood up and approached Robin.

"Have you come up with a solution for this whole Slade thing yet?" he asked.

"That's actually just what I was going to talk about," Robin replied, narrowing his eyes.

TT...DP

Vlad did his best to evade the oncoming icicles, but he was nonetheless stabbed by several of them. He was bleeding heavily from his left upper arm due to a deep, jagged gash there. There was an ugly slice on the left side of his forehead, and his right hand had been completely severed. His right knee was spurting out a horrible amount of blood. The gash there was so deep that a good section of his kneecap was visible.

"So it's blood, is it?" Danny chuckled. His voice had changed somewhat. It was ever so slightly deeper, and had a roughish sound to it. It sounded like Danny, and yet it didn't. "Let's fill this boring old room with some color!" he added, rather maliciously. "And by color, I mean _bloody red."_

Danny began to form a giant icicle above his head. Vlad tried to move, but his body wouldn't work. He was so terrified of the 14-year-old halfa that he was paralyzed. The frozen mass grew larger and larger and sharper and sharper. Danny leaned back to throw the immense icicle. Vlad braced himself, preparing for his world to go black...

Before the ghost boy could throw it, fortunately, his eyes became their normal green color. The sadistic grin on his face turned into a small, tired frown. The icicle faded away into nothingness. Danny groaned. He shut his eyes tightly and grabbed his forehead with his hand.

"What...happened...?" the white haired teen muttered. He looked up at Vlad. He gasped, startled at the sight. "Oh my gosh! Did _I_ do that?"

Vlad, who was indeed a bloodsoaked mess, was somewhat relieved when he detected no hint of sarcasm or anger in the boy's voice. "I'm afraid so, my boy," Vlad rasped, regaining his confidence.

"How did I...why did I...what?" Danny stammered. His eyes darkened. "Why don't I remember what I did?"

Vlad, realizing this was the perfect time to relay Slade's message, couldn't help but smirk. Yes, the message was more prominent in the elder halfa's mind than the pain which riddled his entire body. It outweighed the thoughts of Danny's sudden transformation into...well, a monster.

"I may not know the answer to that question, Daniel, but I _can_ tell you _one_ thing."

Danny narrowed his eyes and his temper briefly flared. "Why would I listen to _you,_ anyway?" he growled.

"_Listen to him, child. What he says can help you._" It was that voice again!

"Who said that?" Danny shouted, frantically looking from side to side. Seeing nobody but his opponent only increased the boy's anger.

Vlad ignored Danny's last question and began speaking in an arrogant way. "Because I can help you. Haven't I told you this _numerous_ times before?"

That was when Danny snapped. "Guess what? I don't _need_ your help!" he shouted. "All you've ever done is make life miserable for my friends, my family, and especially _me!_ Doesn't it ever occur to you that I might just want some _peace_ in my life? _Does it?"_

_"Tell him, Danny. Tell him,"_ the voice said, snickering.

"GO AWAY!" Danny roared, speaking to both Vlad _and_ the voice in his head. He began charging a rage-powered ghost ray in his hand, then held it out as a threat to Vlad. Vlad just floated there, frowning at Danny. The teen clenched his teeth and narrowed his now glowing green eyes. They burned an even brighter shade of green as Danny's hand glowed even more.

"MOVE!" he roared, growing more livid by the second.

"Daniel! I just want to give you a message!" Vlad snapped, clearly angry.

"I don't want to listen!" Danny retorted coldly. "Get out of my life, Plasmius!" His eyes darkened and his voice became slightly deeper. "And if you don't, I'll _make_ you go...the _hard_ way."

"Can't you see what you've done?"

Danny blinked. The burning fire in his eyes died down, and he lowered his hand. His expression remained intense, but he appeared to be calming down a little. "I...I..." He placed a palm on his forehead, which was beginning to ache. "What's happening to me?"

He was truthfully becoming a little bit scared of himself. Danny felt like he was the black sheep of his family, a faithless, violent teen. That feeling alone made him very angry and confused. Yet that wasn't even half the problem...

"If you can help me," Danny said, although hesitantly, "I'll listen to what you have to say."

Torn and bleeding Vlad smirked.

DP...TT

You want us to do _what?"_ Beast Boy exclaimed, expressing his shock at Robin's decision.

"Why?" Raven interjected, raising her eyebrows.

"Dude, are you crazy?" Cyborg exclaimed with gusto.

"Robin, are you ill?" Starfire asked, looking confused.

"I know this is unlike me, but you've all got to trust me on this," Robin said, attempting to get the Titans to understand what he was trying to say. "I _know_ Slade. You know, as well as I do, that he's tricked us before. There's absolutely _no_ reason to believe he's not doing it now. We shouldn't chase after him. We give up."

The other Titans exchanged glances with each other. There was an awkward pause in the room for a brief moment. Then, Raven broke the stillness. She nodded to Beast Boy, who then turned and nodded to Starfire and Cyborg. They all turned to face their leader.

"We shall trust your judgment, Robin," Starfire said, representing the entire team.

Robin nodded. "Good. Now we can focus on other things."

As much as Robin believed his descision was the best, he couldn't help but feel a little doubtful. What if Slade really _was_ up to something? What if the boy hero had just set up a death trap for all of Jump City? _I really do worry too much,_ he thought, shaking away his doubts. Or at least he tried to shake them off. They still ate away at the corner of his mind, telling him he was wrong. Robin desperately hoped he was right...

...

"Excellent. All the puppets are playing their parts just as I want them to," Slade said, smirking beneath his mask. "As much as the Teen Titans think they're in control, they could never forsee what I have in mind." He hit a button on one of various control panels, which activated a screen.

On the screen, a man in a black mask and armor appeared. "What can I do for you, Slade?" the man asked. His voice was abnormally deep and had a slight hiss to it.

"Keep doing as you're doing, Serpent," Slade replied. "But make sure he listens. You _know_ Vlad is about to fail."

The man on the screen chuckled maliciously, his eyes glowing red. "He shall. He shall indeed."

TT...DP

"No! No! You're kidding!" Danny screamed, his eyes filling with anger and hate. "Tell me you're kidding!"

"I'm not kidding, sadly. I wouldn't want to lie to you about this, now, would I?"

Danny's eyes burned with a bright green fire. His anger was noticeably on the rise, and speeding in its ascent. He was absolutely unwillling to accept what he had just heard. "I'll never follow this..._whoever_ you're talking about!" The boy's hands began to glow as he clenched his fists. "I won't let him take me, _I won't!"_

_"Oh, but you will,"_ purred the voice.

"NEVER!" Danny roared, his eyes nearly glowing completely green in his rage.

"Daniel, calm yourself down!" Vlad exclaimed, flinching at the ever-increasing pain in his body.

"Don't you tell me to calm down, _freak,_" the ghost boy growled, furious.

"_What are you waiting for? Destroy him. You _said_ he only made your life miserable. Why should you let him continue to do so?"_

Danny clenched his teeth, eyes widening. What was going on? The voice almost seemed to _know_ him. That was _exactly_ how Danny felt! Why _did_ he let Vlad live? Why _should_ he? What the heck was he _waiting_ for?

"One more word and you're dead!" the young halfa yelled, his eyes burning into Vlad's.

Vlad backed away, smiling and holding his arms up apologetically. This, however, only made Danny even angrier. He _couldn't_ control the rage he was feeling; he just _couldn't!_ It was impossible.

'Now Daniel, you wouldn't really...," Vlad said, laughing nervously.

"SHUT UP!" Danny screamed, firing his strongest ghost ray. The ray was green, but there were flecks of red in it, surprising even Danny.

The beam struck Vlad in the center of his chest, directly where his heart was located. When the ray struck, it didn't just knock him backwards. It didn't just burn him. He automatically reverted back to his human form when it struck him. The half-ghost flew out the window. A huge mass of dark, sticky, crimson liquid gushed out of both his chest and back, along with the thick green and red energy beam.

Danny's heart suddenly began to beat very quickly, and his eyes widened. "No, wait! NO!"

_"No turning back now, child,"_ hissed the voice. "_What's done is done."_

"No! No! No! I couldn't have! I'm not a murderer!" Danny yelled, on the brink of panic.

"_Don't deny the truth. You, Danny Phantom, are a murderer."_

Danny breathed in deeply and sharply, trying to calm himself down. The voice was correct. He could live in denial for the rest of his days, but it still wouldn't change the fact that he, Danny Phantom, earth's savior, had committed murder. And of all things, it was just because he was _angry!_

In that moment, Danny was reminded of a song. It was by a band named Skillet, and it reflected how he felt right then and there. He tried to remember some of the lyrics, but could only remember two lines.

_I must confess that I feel like a monster..._

_The nightmare's just begun..._

Though song lyrics they may have been, it was a bad omen for Danny. As bad as it already was, it was only going to get worse. How many more lives would be sacrificed to the god Rage? Danny shuddered as the line played and replayed through his head...

_The nightmare's just begun..._

**...And that does it for chapter 7! I couldn't help but make Danny think about the awesomeness of that song...Of course, I never would have written that last part without the help of my reviewers! You guys really do help me with little details in this story! I may not respond sometimes, but I do read and listen. If I think it's a good idea that goes along with my plot, I may just work it into my story!**

**I've introduced a new character to this mix, which may just equal more trouble for poor Danny. What sinister plan is**_** really**_** going on here?**

_**Sit back, but don't relax...it's gonna get messy.**_


	8. Voice in My Head

**Hope I didn't scare you too much last chapter. XD**

**Anyhow, I JUST FINISHED writing chapter 11, after all this time. And it looks like chapter 12 will take just as long. But I'm publishing this chapter, anyway...Just to keep you entertained.(When I complete chapter 15 I'll give you a couple of chapters in the same week!) Not as intense as the last chapter, but there's a lot of internal battling in this chapter. Danny's definitely feeling the intensity...**

**I don't own Skillet or the song "Monster". It just happens to be the main inspiration for this story, and, of course, it fits.**

**Plus, I've recently encountered a song that also fits this story pretty well. It's by a band called Red, and the song's name is "Confession". It definitely fits this story...(If you listen to it, you may even get subtle spoilers!)**

**Monster by TAA**

_**Chapter Eight: Voice in my Head**_

_In my body, in my head..._

Vlad had been killed, just as Slade had known he would be. At the time, Vlad's death had meant nothing. The half ghost man wasn't worth anything. But Daniel's reaction to his death...it was worth everything. The boy was still angry, even after killing his archenemy and wrecking his room in the process.

Now Slade watched Danny Fenton pace his room. He was probably considering what had just happened. Slade chuckled to himself. When the halfa got over his guilt and stubbornness, he would be the perfect pick for an apprentice. He switched on another screen, where the armored man, Serpent, appeared.

"Serpent," Slade said, "it's time to turn your knowledge into action. You know who he's close to. You know what sets him off. You know his _weaknesses._ Exploit them."

"Yes, Slade. I shall," Serpent hissed, his eyes glowing red. "The boy will be ours."

TT...DP

Danny violently paced his room, trying to concentrate. Why had he lost control again? How had he done it? He was _Danny Phantom._ He shouldn't have been able to do what he had done. He had killed a _human_. It deeply bothered the boy, but not as much as it _should_ have. In his anger, he had begun to grow numb to the full impact of the murder. He didn't completely realize he had taken a _human life._ He only thought of Vlad's evil nature and his ghost half. Still, he felt awful.

"I can't believe I was so violently _angry_," Danny muttered to himself, clearly frustrated. "And...what if Mom or Dad finds out about Vlad?"

"_You could lie,"_ the voice in his head whispered.

Danny growled. "But I don't _want_ to lie anymore. Why am I even talking to you? You're only in my mind." He paused and took deep breaths. He held his forehead, which was beginning to hurt, with his hand. "You're probably not even _real."_

"_Oh, I'm quite real, child,"_ the voice hissed. "_And I'm talking to you right now."_

"Don't you think I know that?" Danny snapped. He slammed his fist against the floor.

_"Oh, so angry. Was killing your archenemy not enough for you?"_ the voice purred.

"Stop it with the _reminders,_ OK?" Danny hissed, holding his throbbing head. "I feel terrible about it."

_"Really?"_ inquired the voice. "_You should be pleased with yourself."_

Danny blew a fuse or two. "Why _should_ I be?" he yelled, seething.

"_All he ever did was make you miserable. His life was _worth_ taking. No more worrying about him!"_

"But I'm responsible for his death," Danny growled, his stand growing weaker. He stood to his feet and began to pace.

_"No, child. You were never to blame. _He _was the one who attacked you first. _He_ made you lose control. In all truth, _Vlad_ is to blame."_

Danny paused in his pacing and thought. It _was_ true. After all, Vlad _had_ come into his room first...right? "But _I_ threw the first punch," the halfa muttered weakly as a reminder to himself. If only he could control his anger...

_"Look at it this way. If Vlad had never come in in the first place, all this would have never happened."_

All this was making Danny feel less and less guilty about murdering Vlad. In fact, he was starting to feel quite _good_ about it. The sick feeling in his stomach was dissipating. Vlad was gone, now. It was one less menace in his life to have to deal with. Plus, this whole ordeal was Vlad's fault. He had, by all means, killed _himself._

Despite his anger, Danny smirked a little. He didn't remember his emotions that entire battle, or the fact that Vlad had somehow been wounded without his remembrance. He didn't recall Vlad's message, either. All the guilt had been washed away. Danny had been deceived.

DP...TT

"I've done as you asked, Slade," said Serpent, who was standing before Slade in his lair.

"Excellent," Slade replied, steepling his fingers. "Now it's time to put part 'B' of our plan into action."

Serpent nodded. At once, the man's body began to grow narrower. His arms melded with his body, and his legs spliced together. In only a few seconds, Serpent was an absolutely huge, sleek black snake. He hissed and flitted his tongue before turning and slithering out of the lair.

TT...DP

Danny had been on YouTube, listening to Skillet's "Monster" on repeat for the past hour or so, attempting to memorize the lyrics. The more he listened, the more he could compare the lyrics to his feelings in recent times. He felt the rage and he just couldn't hold it. He hated what he had become. His nightmare had just begun. He couldn't control his anger. He really felt like a monster. _Stop this monster..._Surely there was a way to stop his monster! Surely!

A knock on the door disrupted Danny's thoughts. "What?" the boy snapped, whipping around to look at his door.

"Danny?" Maddie asked. She sounded genuinely worried. Not that Danny really cared...

"I said _What!"_ growled Danny.

"Are you OK? We heard a commotion up here about an hour ago."

"Oh, and you're just now checking on me?" _You're so considerate! _"It was a ghost battle, Mom!" Danny spat, trying not to scream. "And I'm not hurt, so _please_ don't come in!" Maddie, of course, being the concerned mother she was, ignored her near-furious son and opened the door. _Now_ Danny was furious. "Mom! I said, '_please_ don't come in'!" he yelled, stomping his foot on the floor.

"Danny, I'm your mother. I have every right to come in your room!" Maddie said.

Danny opened his mouth to hurl back a hateful insult, but snapped it shut again. He'd done enough damage as it was. Still steaming, the teen began to pace his wrecked room. His face was red and sweaty, and his breath was coming in short, ragged gasps. He took a deep breath and tried to calm down.

"I'm sorry, Mom," he confessed, stopping his pacing. His expression lightened up. "I don't know why I'm such a...such a monster."

"You're not a monster, sweetie," Maddie said, genuinely concerned.

"But I _am_ a monster!" Danny argued, his blue eyes widening. "I've hurt...so many people..." He slumped over. Maddie smiled sadly. She set her gloved hand on her son's shoulder. "The people I love," Danny continued. "My anger is hurting them. Why don't you see that?"

Maddie frowned. That last bit sounded like Danny was talking to somebody else..."We forgive you, Danny," she said. "All of us do."

A humorless laugh came from Danny. "Yeah, right," he replied bitterly. "You can't forgive me and everything I've done. Nobody can."

"Yes, we _can,"_ Maddie replied, trying to get over her son's stubborn will. Danny fought back tears and screams. "We'll _always_ forgive you, no matter what."

"Thanks, Mom," Danny replied. His voice was barely above a whisper and cracked with emotion. He managed a little smile.

_"Her forgiveness won't last forever, child,"_ the voice murmered.

_Shut up,_ Danny mentally shot back.

_"But you know it. Deep inside, you know it will never last."_

"Dinner will be ready in fifteen minutes," Maddie said, unknowingly breaking up the mental conversation.

"OK," Danny replied softly, still distracted by the voice's words.

Looking at Maddie now, it seemed the most impossible thing in the world that she wouldn't forgive her son. The woman had learned of Danny's ghost half, and she had still accepted him. It was truly _impossible!_

_"Nothing is impossible,"_ the voice warned. Maddie slowly shut Danny's bedroom door as she exited.

Danny tried to ignore the voice's statement, but it still echoed, almost painfully, through his head. Would Sam's forgiveness last? Tucker's? Jazz's? Jack's? Valerie's? Swarms of people filled Danny's thoughts, and each one increased the pain in his headache. The halfa groaned loudly. "What is this, some extreme form of guilt?" he asked aloud, clutching his aching head with both hands.

Finally, the people faded away. Danny sighed with relief as the pain began to ebb down. He flopped down backfirst onto his bed and rubbed the bridge of his nose, recovering from the mental trauma. He shut his eyes and attempted to catch his breath. After all the pain had ceased, he reopened his eyes and sat up.

Suddenly feeling hungry, Danny glanced at his clock to see how much time had passed. Only two minutes...Two minutes that had seemed like an eternity.

DP...TT

Crime rates were rapidly decreasing in Jump City. Aside from Dr. Light's attack on the city's power supply the previous day, there was no crime to fight. Robin couldn't help but wonder if Slade was somehow behind this, or if it was just mere chance. The boy was beginning to feel like he was the only Titan still worrying about the masked man and what scheme he might have in mind.

...

Robin wasn't the only Titan still concerned about Slade. Like him, Raven had had a bad history with the man. Although she kept quiet about her suspicions, she had more than one assumption that Robin was still worried. His restless movements gave him away.

She and he would need to have a talk, soon.

TT...DP

To Danny, the remaining thirteen minutes in his room had seemed like hours. The world had been moving in slow motion to him that entire time. It sped up again at 7:35, when the Fentons were ready for dinner. Danny was eating like an animal, very quickly and noisily.

"Danny, you've _got_ to stop eating like that," Maddie scolded.

Danny rolled his eyes angrilly, intending to spit something hurtful back.

_"So you want to hurt her some more?"_ the voice questioned. _"How brutish."_

Danny stopped chewing at that. He swallowed and sighed, still peeved. "OK, Mom," he mumbled. He began eating again, this time like a human being. That moment, the phone rang.

"I'll get it," Jazz said, standing up from her seat and hurrying to grab the telephone. Danny listened to her talking as he ate.

"Hello?...Oh, hey, Sam...He's eating dinner right now...Urgent? OK..." Danny was already standing up and marching over to the phone. "Danny, it's for you," Jazz said, holding the phone out to her little brother.

"I know that, Princess Loudmouth," Danny growled, snatching the phone out of his sister's grasp. Jazz crossed her arms and gave him a cold glare before turning around and heading back to her seat. "Hello?" Danny huffed, leaning against the wall.

_**"Danny! You know how Tucker was getting a cold yesterday?"**_Sam exclaimed.

"Yeah," Danny growled back.

_**"Well, I went to check on him today, and...and..."**_

"And...?" Danny asked, beginning to grow curious. The tone in Sam's voice was obviously fearful.

_**"And he wasn't there! I thought he might have been feeling better and had gone to the arcade or something, but his parents said he'd never left the house. And when I went back to his room...I noticed there was a splotch of red on his bed!"**_

Instead of curious, Danny was now worried. "You mean, he's been kidnapped...and _hurt?"_

_**"Exactly,"**_ Sam replied. _**"Tucker's gone."**_

_**...**_

**Yuuup. I left you on a cliffhanger. The next chapter is really long, but it moves really quickly. A lot happens in that chapter.**

**I've just started to notice echoing similarities to Linkin Park songs in this story. No doubt their songs are rubbing off, I love those guys...This particular chapter reminds me of "Papercut". Don't ask why I'm telling you this...**

***clears throat* Anyway, it could be another LONG while before I update. I know, I'm evil.**

**Review, please! :D I asked nicely. .**


	9. The Missing Ones

**I am **_**so sorry**_** I left you all hanging for so long! I knew it would be a while before I updated, but I wasn't expecting it to be **_**months!**_** I haven't felt like doing anything computer-based in a while, including typing. But here it is: The next chapter in "Monster". However, I've been doing a lot of writing. I'll try to be more frequent from now on, seeing as I've done so much writing that I've completed chapter 22 and am working on chapter 23! I'm also trying to get it arranged to publish a new chapter in "Blackened Rebirth", and I've got another story in the works... one you guys may be very interested in.**

**Also, I've been trying to improve my art skills. I've got a style that I really like now, and I'm saving to buy a camera so I can actually post something on DeviantART. And be proud of. My past styles were all horrible, end of story. Maybe I'll even draw a cover for this story...**

**Anyways, *ahem* Read the chapter already. You don't want to waste any more time!**

**Monster by TAA**

_**Chapter Nine: The Missing Ones**_

_No one can hear me scream!_

Danny was seething. "I swear, I'm gonna find whoever did this and-"

_"Danny, I'm sure it'll be fine,"_ Sam cut him off. Her tone was brisk, though unsure. "It's probably just a ghost trying to get your attention."

"Well, he's got it," the halfa growled, his voice dangerously low. "But he won't enjoy it. Not _one bit._ I'll be right over." Danny hung up the phone on his friend in a storm, then ran up the stairs, leaving his dinner unattended. He wasn't hungry anymore, anyway. He was too full of rage to even consider eating.

He phased through his bedroom wall and, still running, transformed into his ghostly alter ego. The furious Danny rocketted out of his bedroom window in a straight path for Tucker's house.

"Don't worry, Tuck. we'll find you...or at least I will."

DP...TT

"So, you still think Slade's up to something?" asked Robin to Raven, who was standing before him. "Why am I not surprised?" He smiled out of relief. He wasn't alone after all.

"I don't think we should have given up on finding Slade," Raven stated, narrowing her indigo eyes. "It might have been part of his plan."

Robin frowned. "I'd never thought of that, honestly," he admitted. The boy hero looked downward and cupped his chin with his hand in thought. There was a five second pause before he spoke again. "Let's give this case another week. If there's no activity by the end of the week, we'll let this go for good."

Raven still wasn't entirely sure it was such a good idea to let their suspicions go, but she nodded in silent agreement with her leader. She would keep looking into it as much as possible over the week. If there was nothing, she would simply stop looking. Maybe it _was_ a trick by Slade. Raven just had to trust that Robin knew what he was doing, as difficult as it was.

TT...DP

Danny flew into Tucker's room through the wide-open bedroom window. Sam, who had been patiently waiting for her friend's arrival, was already in the room.

From the looks of things, Tucker had most likely been lying down on his bed; he had probably been playing with one or two PDAs, Danny noted, as the devices were lying near the bloodstain. It was a large splotch of red about the size of a small child's fist, surrounded by a few smaller droplets. Judging from the color of the blood, the stain was fairly fresh.

"Danny, thank goodness!" Sam exclaimed, running to hug her best friend. Danny's rage dissipated in her embrace, and the boy hugged her back. They had both lost their closest friend. They didn't know whether he was dead or alive, and had no way of immediately finding out. Both teens were in tears as they broke away from eachother's arms.

"Tucker...I...I hope he's...he's not dead," Danny stammered, looking down at his feet.

"Me, too," Sam replied, her voice quivering. "But I guess there's only one way to find out."

Danny blinked, a tense feeling building up in his stomach. A shadow darkened his eyes. "You're thinking about searching for him, aren't you?" the halfa asked, his voice startlingly cold.

"Of course," Sam said. She had spoken with confidence, but upon seeing the darkness contained within her friend's green eyes, her heart sank a little. "Do you...have a problem?" she asked.

"Sort of," Danny muttered. He crossed his arms and turned his head to the side.

"What is it?"

Danny shrugged. "I kind of wanted to search for him myself," he said, his eyes sparkling with frustration.

Sam smiled for a few seconds. "OK, then, we'll go together."

"NO!" Danny snapped, temporarily losing his temper. "_I _want to search for him! By myself!"

"Danny, you're being selfish!" Sam exclaimed, her patience wearing thin. "He's your friend _and_ mine! I have as much right to search for him as you do!"

"I know that!" Danny yelled. He breathed heavily, trying to calm down from his outburst. "I know that. I just...want to do this on my own. I don't want you hurt."

"And I really don't want _you_ to get hurt, either. We can protect eachother."

Danny bit his lip, trying to force the stubbornness out of himself for the time being. Finally coming to a decision, he opened his mouth and let out a sigh. "Well, OK. We'll do it together then. But if I hurt you..." his voice grew quieter, "I'll never be able to forgive myself." Danny bowed his head and set his eyes on his feet with these words.

Sam's heart beat faster. "Why would you _hurt_ me?" she asked. Was _this_ why Danny had hesitated to let her go out there with him at first?

"I...I don't know," Danny replied. "I've just been a little crazy lately, I guess."

"Danny, you're _not_ crazy," Sam said.

Danny laughed without humor. "Who are _you_ to say I'm not crazy?" he asked, voice strained.

"Your best friend who cares about you more than anything else," Sam replied, looking her best friend in the eye.

After the words slipped out, something changed in Danny's expression. His eyes softened up. "Really? You do?" he asked, all traces of malice gone from his voice. A smile tugged at his lips.

"Yeah," Sam replied, also smiling. "Come on. Let's go look for Tucker."

Danny nodded, his eyes filled with his old determination. He grinned. "Let's fly."

...?

He didn't know where he was. It was a dark, gloomy place which smelled of dust and mold. The room was dark, with only a tiny, dim light coming through the ceiling. Or...at least what he _thought_ was a ceiling. Perhaps even the light was his imagination. Even the smells seemed artificial. In fact, there was only one thing he knew to be real...

...an unnatural hissing noise coming from the other end of the room...

...DP

What little cheerfulness the duo had begun their search with had long since vanished. Danny was angry and Sam was getting bored.

"Where the heck could he _be?!"_ Danny shouted, pounding the side of a building with his fist. "It's been an entire _hour!"_

"Patience, Danny, patience," Sam cautioned, placing her hand on the halfa's shoulder.

Danny jerked away, growling in frustration. "Patience," he muttered, a weird glint in his green eyes. "How can I have patience with _so much_ going wrong? And on a half empty stomach?" What little dinner he had eaten had worn off, and he was now quite hungry.

Sam shrugged. "You can try," she said, seemingly unfazed by Danny's bad reaction.

The boy sniffed and turned to the side, arms crossed. Suddenly, his bad mood cleared up. "You know, you've been leading this search-and-rescue mission. Can't _I_ take the lead for a while?" Danny asked.

"Sure, why not?" Sam responded.

Danny grinned and stepped out in front of her. "We may be able to get a better clue of where he is by searching from the ground," he told the Goth, turning to look at her. "Ya know, by searching for bloodstains or something."

Sam nodded and followed her ghostly friend. The two walked along, carefully watching the ground for any trace of Tucker. After about ten minutes, Danny was beginning to feel hopeless. There were no footprints, no drops of blood, _nothing._ Danny sighed and stopped in front of an alleyway. "Where could he be?" he whined, beginning to tear up.

Sam could tell her friend was about to have an emotional breakdown, so she decided to boost his spirits. "Maybe we're looking in the wrong spots. Tucker could be in another area of town," she suggested.

Just as Danny was opening his mouth to agree, he heard an unearthly noise...it sounded like a snake's hissing. The halfa's head immediately shot up. The hissing was coming from _right at the end of the alley!_

"Wait here," he commanded Sam, his eyes narrowed down to green chips.

Sam took a step back. "OK...if...you say so," she replied. The tone in which Danny had commanded her was almost hostile, and that scared Sam. That was saying something big, as Sam was not the type of girl to be afraid of her own friend. She didn't even try to insist on following. Something was definitely wrong...

...

Danny cautiously approached the corner of the alley, his back pressed against the wall. With uncanny speed, Danny leaped out from behind the wall to see what was there. The half ghost boy gasped when he saw...nothing. The hissing had stopped as well. He grunted in frustration. "Well, Sam, I _thought_ there was something here," he called back. "I guess I was wrong."

He didn't get a reply. "Sam?" Danny stepped out from behind the corner, expecting to see the raven-haired girl he called his best friend. She wasn't there. "OK, Sam, this isn't funny," Danny called, his heart beginning to beat faster. "This is no time for a joke!" The boy had been half-expecting to see Sam come out from some hiding place, but she never did. Not even a trace of her voice was heard.

He heard a shuffling noise coming from the other side of the building, near where he'd told Sam to wait. Danny ran to the sound, hoping he'd found his friend. "Sam? Are you there?" he shouted. The teen stopped in front of a second alley, expecting to see his friend's face. Sam wasn't there. The shuffling noise was nothing more than a stray cat burying its waste in some dirt. It ran, meowing, at Danny's abrupt arrival.

"Sam?" Danny frantically looked around, beginning to panic. "Sam? SAM?" His calls were answered by nothing. As his last resort, the halfa shot up into the air to see if he could catch a glimpse of his friend. The girl was nowhere to be seen. "Sam!" Danny wailed.

All of a sudden, his surpressed anger bubbled up like chemicals, then exploded. He roared, tears streaming down his face. "_What else_ could go wrong?" he growled. Danny's better nature then cut into his thought life.

_You know, it would be best to stay calm in this kind of situation. Just stay calm._ Danny breathed hard, fighting the feral part of him which had a great deal of control over him these days. "Stay calm. Just stay calm," he told himself.

His head began to throb. Danny grimaced and held onto his head, attempting to make the pain go away. As soon as the pain ebbed away, his stomach growled. The halfa floated down to the ground, clutching his stomach with his arms. It couldn't be _possible_ to be so hungry after only an hour since eating. He was really starting to feel like a starving, fierce, wild animal in captivity. His captors were his family and friends. They were truly the only things keeping him tethered to his humanity; the only things keeping him from becoming an animal.

_"Or a monster,"_ the voice said.

Danny growled at it. "I _feel_ like a monster," he said aloud, "but that doesn't mean I _am_ one." He flew off in the direction of FentonWorks, slowly nearing the end of his rope. That rope was the thin line between his sanity and insanity, human and animal. If that last line snapped, it would be the end.

DP...TT

"I feel he's very close," Serpent, in man form, told Slade. "One more step, and the child crosses the border."

"Excellent, Serpent. You've done your job well." Slade smirked beneath his mask. "Just hope he doesn't put up too much of a fight. You saw what he did to Vlad."

Serpent clenched his fist. "I've got Daniel in my _grasp,_" he chuckled, eyes shining crimson. "He won't be able to lay more than a _scratch_ on me, if anything."

"You may just eat those words, Serpent," Slade warned. "Pride is any man's downfall."

The man in black armor smirked, his eyes twinkling with malice. "Ah, but I'm not all man, am I?' Serpent purred, morphing himself back into a snake. The man and reptile laughed in unison.

...

"Gee, it sure is boring around here," Beast Boy muttered, lying spread-eagle on the floor of the Titan's Tower den. He had been there pretty much all day, bored out of his skull. "Isn't there _anything_ interesting to do? Ya know, something other than what we've been doing these past few days?"

"Hmm... nope," Raven replied dryly.

"By the way, Raven, what _have_ we been doing these past few days?" Beast Boy pressed.

Raven sighed heavily, thouroughly exasperated with the green-skinned boy. "I've been reading, Robin's been in his room, Cyborg's been channel surfing, Starfire's been Starfire, and _you've_ been collecting dust."

Beast Boy groaned, not reacting as he usually did to Raven's droll sense of humor. Instead, he morphed into a cat and curled up on the floor. "So bored," he meowed.

Raven looked back inside her book. The shapeshifter obviously didn't have Slade on his mind. _Same old Beast Boy,_ she thought.

TT...DP

Danny arrived at his house and transformed back into his human form. Before he even entered the house, something felt wrong. The place felt... deserted. _Oh no,_ Danny thought, a sick feeling rising in his throat like bile. Mingling that with his hunger, it made the teen want to puke. He opened the door, stomach lurching in fear. "Mom? Dad? Jazz?" Danny called, frightened. He knew they weren't there after he got no response.

Danny's knees began to shake. He fell down onto his knees, feeling the feral urge to destroy rising up from within him. A growl rise in his throat. His eyes flared toxic green. _Wait... maybe they're just somewhere else right now,_ he mentally reasoned with himself, causing his eyes to fade black to blue.

"_They didn't have anywhere to go, remember?"_ the voice hissed.

Danny gritted his teeth. They _didn't_ have anywhere to go that night. He was so _angry!_ He had never felt so much rage before. It was uncanny! And so much undirected hate... a hate for _everything!_ He didn't care what he had to do to get this anger out, he just _had_ to!

There was a fierce snarling in his head, obviously not of human origin. It wasn't English, yet Danny understood it perfectly. _**"LET ME OUT!"**_

The halfa fought the urge and tried to ignore the snarl, but his efforts only gave him a violent headache. It almost felt like a wild animal was trying to claw its way out of his head! He cried and gasped in pain, now writhing around on the floor holding his head. Tears of agony fell from his eyes.

_**"LET ME OUT, YOU MAKE PAIN STOP,"**_ the wild, sepulchral growl continued.

"Never," Danny whimpered, opening one clenched-shut eye. But Danny just wanted the pain to stop, and he was too weak... too tired... to fight it. He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, allowing his instincts to take over.

...

**Another cliffhanger, this time with so many more questions than before! If you think you knew who the voice (not the growl) was, you were probably right. xD**

**This is where things start to get on the crazy and weird side, so beware.**

**P.S.: All you Dash haters, I think you'll enjoy the next chapter a lot...**


End file.
